Infectious Love

Chapter 13: A Day in

"Thank you! Please come again!"

3 walked out of the general store carrying two small plastic bags. It was almost 3 p.m., and 3 had picked up a few things for 8 and 4. A few days had passed since the meeting and when 8 attacked Jeremy, but 8 had been doing well. 

Since 8 couldn't play Turfwar, he would cheer his friends on in the audience. He had cleaned his apartment from top to bottom and practiced his cooking now that he had so much free time. Unfortunately, 8's arm was being slowly taken over by the turquoise color. Just the other day 8 he discovered a small patch of turquoise on his back when looking in the mirror.

"Y'all know what time it is!?"

"It's Off the Hook, coming to you LIVE from Inkopolis Square!"

3 had made it to the Square just as the Inkopolis News broadcast started. It was now 3 p.m., so that meant stage rotations. 3 spotted 8, 4, and Darcey chilling at a table. 3 quickly joined them as the broadcast played.

"Before we reveal the current stages, we got some important news to report," Pearl stated. The crowd around the gang buzzed with confusion. There wasn't usually any other news to report besides the stages, so what could it be?

Marina cleared her throat. "Starting today, the old subway station will be fully closed off for what looks to be repairs. It was also discovered this morning, at approximately 1 a.m., that an unknown assailant attacked an Inkling boy. He wasn't seriously harmed, but-"

"He was trying to tag the place 'cause his friends dared him." Pearl blurted out, startling her partner.

3 froze as she glanced over to her friends, 8 and 4's eyes were wide with shock while Darcy looked at her boyfriend with a confused expression.

"It's advised to avoid going out alone after dark for the time being and avoiding the station. Now we'll get back to the rotations..."

As Pearl and Marina moved on to the rotations, the gang turned around and looked at each other.

"That poor boy," Darcy said while 4's brows furrowed in thought.

3 nodded. Someone getting attacked in the old subway station on the same day the Splatoon was closing it off and adding security? It was too suspicious to be a coincidence, especially when one of the tunnels led to the Metro.

"4 does this have something to do with the sanitized you told me about?" Darcy asked with a concerned tone.

Although Darcy had been part of the Octarian army and had recently joined the Splatoon, not everyone in the Splatoon knew about the details of the Deepsea Metro. 4 took Darcey's hand into his and gave it a gentle squeeze, giving her a stable nod. 

"Anyways, I picked up everything you both asked," 3 plopped the plastic bags onto the table, trying to change the subject.

"Thanks 3," 8 smiled, grabbing and pulling his bag toward him.

"Great, now we can have our movie night!" Darcy exclaimed, pulling out a small box of packaged popcorn.

3 tilted her head. "Movie night?"

4 sheepishly smiled. "Well, uh, tomorrow night was supposed to be date night, but the recon mission for the Metro is tomorrow."

"Yeah," Darcy crossed her arms with a huff. "They ruined date night, so we're just having a movie night."

"So who's coming with you for the mission?" 8 asked while looking through his bag's contents.

"It's just gonna be me, Leo, Bec, and 3." 4 shrugged. "We just got to get in, grab the files we need, and find a patient."